The Frailty Of Life

For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away. (James 4:14b)

The Greek word translated as “vapor” is an old word meaning “mist.”  It’s the word from which we get our English word “atmosphere.”  Our lives are like that evanescent misty steam rising from our morning coffee.  We see it, but for a moment, and then it is gone.  

How foolish that we should speak so presumptuously about our plans for the future when our lives are so fragile, so fleeting, so frail.  

Of course, this does not mean we are to live our lives dejectedly, consigning ourselves to the fatalism of a meaningless existence.  That is not what James is teaching!  Quite the contrary: created in God’s image, we have real meaning and purpose.  God has designed us to live our lives for His glory, and when we live for Him, we experience life on the most joyous level possible.

Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that.” (James 4:15)

James gives us what we ought to say instead of boasting about our self-made, self-determined plans.  Rather than saying, “Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit,” James argues: “Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that.” 

“If the Lord wills.”  That’s how we are to speak: “If the Lord wills, I will be alive tomorrow.”  Pretty humbling, right?  Someone invites you to go somewhere; imagine you would reply: “If the Lord allows me to live.”  Sounds kind of morose, doesn’t it?!

I’m not sure that James actually means we are to say these exact words every time, but I do think he wants us to think this way every time.   We are to be thinking this way, deep down in our hearts, knowing that our lives are full of uncertainties.  We will only do this or that if the Lord permits.

The Apostle Paul thought this way.  We see evidence of it in his first letter to the Corinthians.  He writes, “I will come to you shortly, if the Lord wills (1 Corinthians 4:19),” and, “I hope to stay awhile with you, if the Lord permits (1 Corinthians 16:7).”

This is a healthy and humbling way to think: “If the Lord permits” or “Lord willing.” Christians of earlier generations would often conclude their letters with something of their plans and then append the Latin phrase, Deo Volente, God permitting.

Our lives are characterized by so much uncertainty and frailty.  No one knows for certain what will happen tomorrow or in the next few hours.  We’ll talk more about this in our next post on James…Deo Volente!

**Excerpt from You’re Either Walking The Walk Or Just Running Your Mouth (Preaching Truth: 2020), pages 153-154, available in all formats here.